There are dozens of loan forgiveness programs available to nurses — federal, state, and employer-based. Most nurses only know about one or two. This free AI tool finds all of them based on your specific situation.
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Nurses are leaving serious money on the table every year.
Answer a few questions, get a personalized program list.
Tell the tool your loan type, employer type, nursing role, and state. Takes under 2 minutes.
The AI identifies every federal, state, and employer forgiveness program you're eligible for or close to qualifying for.
Each program comes with eligibility requirements, application links, and what you need to do next to secure forgiveness.
This tool knows about all of these — and dozens more state-level programs.
Work at a nonprofit or government hospital for 10 years on an income-driven repayment plan. Entire remaining balance forgiven, tax-free.
Work 2 years at a Critical Shortage Facility. Designed specifically for RNs, APRNs, and nursing faculty serving underserved communities.
For NPs and CNMs serving in Health Professional Shortage Areas. One of the fastest paths to major debt relief for advanced practice nurses.
Over 30 states have their own nurse loan forgiveness programs, many of which stack with federal programs. Amounts and eligibility vary widely.
If you have older federal Perkins loans and work as a nurse in a low-income or public school, a significant portion may be cancelled each year.
Many hospital systems offer direct loan repayment as a hiring incentive — often $5,000–$20,000+ that most nurses never think to negotiate for.
More ways to maximize your financial picture as a nurse.
Nurses can qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), NHSC Loan Repayment Program, Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, Perkins Loan Cancellation, and dozens of state-specific programs. Some employers also offer direct loan repayment as a hiring incentive. See the full nurse loan forgiveness guide for detailed program breakdowns.
If you work full-time at a nonprofit hospital, government facility, or qualifying public health organization, you likely qualify for PSLF. After 120 qualifying payments on an income-driven repayment plan, your remaining federal loan balance is forgiven tax-free. Most hospital-based nurses qualify without realizing it.
The NHSC (National Health Service Corps) Loan Repayment Program awards up to $50,000 in loan repayment in exchange for 2 years of service at an NHSC-approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives are eligible.
It varies by program. PSLF forgives your entire remaining federal loan balance after 10 years. NHSC offers up to $50,000 for a 2-year commitment. Nurse Corps offers up to 85% of qualifying nursing education debt. State programs range from $5,000 to $30,000+ depending on state and specialty. Also explore nursing scholarships to reduce debt before it starts.
PSLF requires 10 years of qualifying payments at a nonprofit or government employer and forgives the full remaining balance. Nurse Corps is a shorter 2-year commitment with a lump-sum payment covering up to 85% of nursing education debt, but requires working in a Critical Shortage Facility. Both are federal — the Loan Forgiveness Checker helps you figure out which (or both) you qualify for.
Sometimes, yes. PSLF is federal, and many states run their own nurse loan repayment programs (California's Bachelor of Science Nursing Loan Repayment Program, Texas's Loan Repayment Program for Mental Health Professionals, New York's Nurses Across NY, etc.) that can stack with federal options. Read each program's rules carefully — some prohibit double-dipping with PSLF while others specifically allow it.
No. PSLF requires W-2 employment at a qualifying public or 501(c)(3) nonprofit employer. Most travel nurse agencies are for-profit staffing companies, which disqualifies their W-2 wages. Working at a qualifying hospital through an agency also doesn't count — PSLF looks at who signs your W-2, not where you physically work. If you're chasing PSLF, staying staff at a qualifying employer is usually the right call.
Qualifying payments pause when you leave a qualifying employer, but they don't reset. You can switch from one qualifying nonprofit to another without losing credit — just submit a new Employment Certification Form for the new employer. If you take a non-qualifying job (for-profit, agency, private practice) for a few years and then return to a qualifying employer, your previous qualifying payments still count.
PSLF requires payments under a qualifying income-driven repayment plan (IDR) — PAYE, SAVE, IBR, or ICR. Standard 10-year repayment plan payments technically count, but they'd pay off the loan before 120 payments anyway, so most PSLF-chasers use an IDR plan to keep monthly payments low and preserve the maximum forgiveness balance.
This tool is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, or loan-repayment advice. Federal and state loan forgiveness programs change frequently — verify current eligibility rules with studentaid.gov, your loan servicer, and a qualified financial advisor before making career decisions based on forgiveness eligibility. Some external links may be affiliate links — see full disclosure.